Thursday, May 31, 2012

My Little Luke Skywalker

My boys love costumes. It doesn't have to be Halloween around here to find my kids dressed up as a super hero or Jedi fighter.

I came across some great Star Wars costumes at wholesale prices, and decided to get R, the 6 year old, this Luke Skywalker costume. He kind of looks like Luke Skywalker straight out of Star Wars, right?
The costume arrived and it appeared to be huge. I ordered a child's medium, and, as you can see in the pic, it's very roomy.

Fortunately, the costume is very easy to put on. The tunic just slips on with no buttons or closures but rather relies on the belt to hold it in place. The belt looks pretty cool and is large enough for my waist so there's plenty of fabric to wrap around R's tiny waist. The belt ties together in back making it easily adjustable for all sizes.

I was surprised to find the tan pants and boot covers connected as one piece. It makes it a bit difficult as far as fit goes with respect to height. The pants have an elastic waist to accomodate different weights, but if you're not tall, there's only so much rolling up or pulling up at the waist that you can do. Thankfully, the tunic can cover up any extra rolling up that may be required. Cinch the belt at the waist and most of the problem is hidden underneath.

As you can see in the pics, there's lots of excess fabric both in the tunic and on the pants/boot covers. I suppose a smaller size would have worked out better. All in all, it's a good costume. R is pleased with it and wants to wear it for Halloween this year.

The only thing left to do is add a light saber, which is not included with the costume, and your little one is good to go. May the force be with you!


Wednesday, May 30, 2012

What To Do, What To Do

D is 3 years old and still has 2 years of preschool to go, but I'm already contemplating what to do with my life once he's in school full time.

I'm immensely bored at home. I never thought I would say such a thing, but it's true. I feel useless and like I'm not contributing. Yes I do laundry. Yes I vacuum. Yes I wash dishes. Yes I make beds. It just doesn't feel like enough for me.

I want to do something more. I want to move my brain. I want to earn a paycheck. I want to feel valued.

I have my teaching certificate and have been seriously considering looking for something in education. I would prefer to be a subject teacher, but I'm K-8 certified with no specialty. I don't even know what I would get certified in if I did consider getting a specialized certification. Story of my life - I don't know what I want to do.

Bright side is I'm focusing on a particular field - education. Maybe in the next 2 years I can narrow it down a specialization. I know what I don't want to do. I don't want preschool or kindergarten - still too young. I don't want 5th grade or older - too fresh. I suppose somewhere between 1st and 4th grades would work for me.

Okay, I'm on a roll now.




Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Too Cool for School

D, the 3 year old, had his preschool music program this morning. I wasn't expecting much because he is, after all, newly 3 years old and probably has some stage-fright, especially since he's never been on stage before. I wasn't exactly expecting this:

Mine is the expressionless one in the middle with the white shirt and grey stripes. This is pretty much the expression he had on his face through the entire program. There was no crying, thankfully, but no singing either. Just this look of "What are you all doing here and why are you looking at me?"

I would like to say it was cute, but he didn't really do anything. Maybe clapped once or twice and waved his hand goodbye, but that's the extent of the star quality D possesses. I suppose he's more of the brooding type. At least he's consistent, though. This is after the program was done on his way back to the classroom:

Still brooding. Still too cool for school. I just love that kid!


Friday, May 25, 2012

Aloha Friday

Kailani at An Island Life started Aloha Friday. Want to play along? I ask a question, you answer the question in the comments. You can also ask your own question on your blog and link up at Kailani's site. Here's my question:

What's your favorite thing to do on a rainy day?

My answer: I love to read a book, but I love to read a book on sunny days, too!

Friday Finds

MizB at Should Be Reading hosts Friday Finds. What great books did you find online, in the library or at the bookstore? What did you add to your TBR list? Share with us your FRIDAY FINDS!




"The Red House" by Mark Haddon
"Porch Lights" by Dorothea Benton Frank
"Menage" by Alix Kates Shulman
"What Happened in Granite Creek" by Robyn Bradley

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Day of Anxiety/Field Trip #2

The newly 6 year old, R, is on his second field trip today. Unfortunately the weather is cloudy, foggy and drizzly for his strawberry picking expedition, but he was excited to go nonetheless. I, on the other hand, am a nervous wreck.

It's bad enough they have to take a school bus about 1/2 hour away, but the roads are wet and it's foggy out. I'm not a fan of school buses, and on days like today, I'm a downright protester.

But I couldn't keep him home when it was something he's been waiting to do for a month. He likes riding the bus. He's six, and he doesn't watch the news or read the paper. School bus accidents are horrible and terrifying. How can you say that to a child who loves to go on field trips at least once every school year?

As a parent, there are so many things you learn to not say in front of your children. Expressing your fears must be curbed as well. Impressionable little ones could be scarred for life due to your quirks and anxieties.

This parenting stuff is hard core. It's not for the faint-hearted. How much longer until that bus pulls back up to the school doors?

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

The Dilemma of Two

Both of my boys are born in May, 3 years and 3 weeks apart. I always seem to be on the ball and prepared for every last detail of the one that occurs early in the month. Party theme, decorations, cake, goody bags, treats for school, gifts, invitations, everything is thought through and prepped well in advance.

By the time I finish up the first party, preparations for the second party, which is held at the end of the month, should be well underway. And yet, 3 years in, I'm guilty of be incredibly lax when it comes to this party.

I sent out the invitations for D's 3rd birthday one week in advance. Not good. Especially when D was born on Memorial Day and his party is always held on Memorial Day weekend . . . when everyone has plans. You'd think I would know by now to get the invitations out at least a month before. Apparently not.

I just ordered his cake today, 4 days before his party. Thankfully, the baker could do it for me in time, mostly because we're not having a lot of people and I don't need a large cake. Phew!

His gifts are ordered and most have already been delivered. I have most of the decorations, but could probably pick up a few more. I have no special treat bags for the boys but that can be taken care of when I get the rest of the decorations. I still have a couple of days.

On my way home from picking up D at preschool today, I realized I have nothing planned for his little schoolmates. I always, always, always send in cupcakes or treats for R's classmates. It just didn't occur to me until today that I need something for D to bring to school with him on Thursday (he only goes 2 days a week and his actual birthday is Friday).

How did I forget that? Maybe because it's his first year in school? Maybe because I was focusing more on the family party than his school party? Maybe I'm just losing it?

I don't want to favor one child over the other. I want to treat both equally and make sure both get to have the same or similar experiences. Thankfully I have tomorrow to pick something up for him to bring to school. Thankfully I only have 2 children!

Monday, May 21, 2012

Musing Mondays

MizB at Should Be Reading hosts Musing Mondays. This week's musing asks . . . What do you do with the book before you start reading it?

I like to read the synopsis on the back cover (again) and then look for the author picture and the blurb accompanying it. It's usually pretty informative to know a bit about the author before reading something he/she wrote.

The Big Reveal

I read an article this weekend about a new phenomenon sweeping through the world of pregnant women. It's called gender reveal parties.

Apparently, when a pregnant woman gets her ultrasound and the sex of the baby is determined, the ultrasound technician writes down the sex, puts it in a sealed envelope, and hands it over to a pre-designated confidante who promises not to reveal the sex to anyone, except the local baker.
The local baker then makes a cake and uses filling that is either pink or blue depending on the sex of the baby. Sounds cute, right? Even looks good.
The cake, and baby sex, is revealed at a big party for family and friends. This party can be held in conjunction with the traditional baby shower or all on its own. If you'd like to have more male attendees, perhaps having a separate gender reveal party would be better. There is, after all, a lot of betting on the sex of the baby at these parties.

Maybe these parties have been around for a few years already, but I'm an old-fashioned mamma. I didn't even have a baby shower, never mind a gender reveal party. But then again, any reason for another piece of cake is okay in my book. Eat up, mommies!



Friday, May 18, 2012

Aloha Friday

Kailani at An Island Life started Aloha Friday. Want to play along? I ask a question, you answer the question in the comments. You can also ask your own question on your blog and link up at Kailani's site. Here's my question:

Are you on Facebook, Twitter, both or neither?

My answer: I'm only on Facebook. I tried to get on Twitter once and their network was down or slow or something wouldn't let me on, so I figured one social networking site was plenty for me.

Friday Finds

MizB at Should Be Reading hosts Friday Finds. What great books did you hear about/discover this past week? Share with us your FRIDAY FINDS!





"I Never Promised You a Goodie Bag" by Jennifer Gilbert
"Silver Sparrow" by Tayari Jones

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Dreaming of an English Garden

I love to garden. I love flowers and shrubs and anything that blooms or doesn't bloom. Only problem is I stink at designing a garden.

I am not a landscaper, never claimed to be one. But I know when I see a garden that pleases my eye.

I'm partial to an English garden. I love a full garden of color and a bench or some other feature item. This garden would be truly delightful:


When I go to the garden center, there are so many choices that I get overwhelmed. I have no idea what should go where. So I wind up coming home with a bunch of stuff and no idea where to plant it.

Hubs and I are going to the garden center together tomorrow. Tonight we're going to try to plan it out before we actually get to the store. Otherwise I'll wind up buying a bunch of stuff not really knowing where to put it or how it will look all together. When I close my eyes, this shrub garden is what I envision:

 I just hope we can agree on something along these lines, even if it's not as lush and full as this. It is lovely though, isn't it?


Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Pass Me A Tissue, Please

Mother's Day Tea at R's Kindergarten classroom last Friday was truly a delight.

The children memorized poems of what they accomplished to date during the school year - and it was a lot! I still can't believe the capacity of memory in those so young. There must have been at least a dozen poems they memorized, in addition to the songs they sang. Unreal! I don't remember what I had for dinner last night.

It was the song they sang, each child standing in front of his/her mother, singing right to them, that got my tears flowing. I'm not sure of the name of the song, but it was something about "You are an angel." I literally could not stop crying. It was the sweetest thing ever.

I did feel bad for those children whose mothers could not attend the event. I believe there were 2 of them with no one there. I'm not exactly sure what they did during the song because I was too busy bawling my eyes out.

It's so important for parents to be as involved as possible in their children's school functions. I couldn't imagine R's little face or the heartbreak in his eyes if I had been unable to attend the event.

I bitch and moan a lot, but I cherish these times with my boys. They are little for such a short period of time, I wish I could've recorded this event to watch 10 or 20 years from now . . . and cry my eyes out again and again.

Monday, May 14, 2012

Musing Mondays

MizB at Should Be Reading hosts Musing Mondays. This week's musing asks . . . Do you tend to read to the end of a chapter or can you stop anywhere?

I try to read to the end of a chapter, but I will stop anywhere on the page. When I'm reading in bed at night, I sometimes fall asleep mid-sentence so I don't always have a choice.

Saturday, May 12, 2012

6WS

Call Me Cate at Show My Face hosts Six Word Saturday. Want to play along? All that's necessary to participate is to describe your life (or something) in a phrase using just six words.

When will all this coughing end?

Friday, May 11, 2012

Aloha Friday

Kailani at An Island Life started Aloha Friday. Want to play along? I ask a question, you answer the question in the comments. You can also ask your own question on your blog and link up at Kailani's site. Here's my question:

Do you buy organic foods?

My answer: Sometimes, but I don't go out of my way to shop for them.

Friday Finds

MizB at Should Be Reading hosts Friday Finds. What great books did you hear about/discover this past week? Share with us your FRIDAY FINDS!







"The Sense of an Ending" by Julian Barnes
"The Singles" by Meredith Goldstein
"Chasing Daylight" by Eugene O'Kelly
"Wedding Cake for Breakfast" by Kim Perel and Wendy Sherman
"The House of Velvet and Glass" by Katherine Howe
"The Meryl Streep Movie Club" by Mia March
"The Mother-in-Law Diaries" by Carol Dawson
"The Good Mother" by Sue Miller

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Working Out the Credit Card

I did a boat-load of shopping today and I'm exhausted.

I hit AC Moore looking for wood circles and a flower-shaped paper cutter. I'm not crafty but I like to think I could be. I plan on buying flowers for the boys' teachers as end of year gifts and placing a stick inside with a flower-shaped label that says "Thanks for helping _____ grow." I'll take a pic and post the finished product here.

Then I went to Marshall's and picked up a few things. I went back to Marshall's an hour or so later with my Mom and picked up a few more things. I just can't help myself. It's a given when I enter that store I'm going to buy something.

Lastly I went to Lowe's for some flowers. Surprisingly there was quite a large selection. I came out with a few hot pink geraniums for my containers and a few lilies for my garden. I just love gardening.

When I got home, I realized I gave my credit card a bit of a workout. I figure I did my part to give the economy a boost today.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Junglerrrific or Germophobe?

About a year ago I bought a Groupon to Junglerrrific, a local indoor jungle gym for kids. Not only are there 2 jungle gym climbing thingies inside, there are toys for the little ones and lots to play with. It's a great idea, especially on a rainy day like today. But . . .

Does the germ thing ever deter anyone else? I'm not a germophobe, at least not a full-fledged one, but I do worry about the kids getting sick. Probably because my kids get sick ALL THE TIME.

These indoor play places are loaded with germs, no doubt. The owner really tries to keep the toys clean and wipes them down every few hours. But you can't get all those little buggers now, can you?

I suppose I've been trying to pick the best time to go with D over the past year. The right time just never seemed to present itself. Either he was sick, getting over being sick, completely healthy and not wanting him to get sick again, or in school. 

Today, he's still got a few sniffles but he's perfectly fine. And it is raining. And I only have 3 more months to use the Groupon and get him there for a total of 4 times. So  . . .

Looks like we'll be heading over to Junglerrrific for an hour or so this afternoon. I'll be sure to bring lots of hand sanitizer with me. Come on, you know we'll need it.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Kids and Paperwork

Who knew kids came with so much paperwork?

I suppose I should've been clued in when I left the hospital with each bundle of joy requiring a briefcase to carry all the papers and folders I was bombarded with.

Every day R, the 6 year old, brings home a folder full of papers. Some to keep, some to sign and return, some to toss right in the recycle bin.

I try to be organized, but I'm not having much success. I have a bin for his completed schoolwork, and I mean an actual bin. The amount of ditto sheets are ridiculous. I suppose I'll thin this pile out as soon as he starts 1st grade.

I have a separate folder for the notes and various school announcements that come home. I suppose this folder will be cleaned out as well once September rolls around.

Then there's another folder for the PTA information that comes home. Meetings, events, officers - anything related to the PTA.

Like I said, I try to be organized but I still have random papers lying around the house. They're supposed to be reminders for trips or donations or whatever is upcoming that I need to prepare for. They just happen to get lost under other pieces of paper that come in the door.

D, the almost-3 year old, doesn't come with so much filing just yet. He's only in school 2 days a week so I suppose I have a few more years reprieve before he needs his own bin and filing folders.

Thank goodness I only have 2 kids!

Monday, May 7, 2012

Appreciating the Small Stuff

This past Saturday we celebrated my first-born's 6th birthday. That little angry guy up in my banner turned 6. Hard to believe . . .

We had a small family party - no big party with friends from school. I don't feel the need to outdue every other kid when it comes to birthday parties. We had a big party with kids for his 5th birthday and will probably have one again when he's 10. There's just no way we're doing it every year. It's too expensive and, I believe, isn't necessary. Then he'll expect something bigger and better every year. Not gonna happen.

When I was young, we either celebrated with a cake and immediate family or I was allowed 2 or 3 friends over for cake and dancing. That's all she wrote. And I appreciated it and loved it. I'll never forget those parties because they were small and rare. I want my kids to appreciate the small stuff as well.

Maybe as he gets older and really starts to make friends, he can invite a few over or we'll go out someplace for his birthday. Until then, he's stuck with our motley crew.

So I let R pick a theme, decorated the house, ordered a cake from the local food market, had a total of 11 family members in the house, and celebrated for a few hours. I sure hope he appreciated it. It kind of looks like he did . . .

Musing Mondays

MizB at Should Be Reading hosts Musing Mondays. This week's musing asks . . . If you were going to write a book, what would you write about? Would it be fiction, or nonfiction?

I've written a children's book which, so far, has not been published. I'm in the throws of small children now so I'm writing about what appeals to their world.

Saturday, May 5, 2012

6WS

Call Me Cate at Show My Face hosts Six Word Saturday. Want to play along? All that's necessary to participate is to describe your life (or something) in a phrase using just six words.

Happy Birthday six year old son.